Temple Baptist Church - 11-17-2024
2 Timothy 4:10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9
Introduction:
A. One of the saddest accounts of the Pauline Epistles is found in the verse that we read this morning.
1. Demas, a fellow laborer and personal friend of the Apostle Paul chose “this present world” over the Lord, His church, and His choice servant. We saw the adverse effect that Demas had on the great Apostle Paul in the words “Demas hath forsaken me!”
2. Nothing is said in this verse about what led up to his return to the world nor what happened to him in the remainder of his life, but one thing is made perfectly clear: he loved “this present world” more than he loved the things of God.
B. The world that Timothy lived in was so different from the one we live in and, yet it was the same.
1. The world system has never changed, from Babel to the 21st century. But our times are so vastly different. I am sure the Apostle Paul would have been flabbergasted with the technology of our day and the worldly attractions that it brings with it.
2. The things that attract may be different, but the system is not! This present world in which we live has neither changed in its values nor its vision.
C. We have all known people that we once admired for their Bible stand and godly living who have forsaken the things of God for “this present world.” We do not know if they are saved or unsaved so we will leave them to the Lord, but the forsaking itself is growing more and more “as we see the day approaching.”
D. Times have changed so much in my lifetime and yours. While the Bible says that we are not to love the world nor the things that are in the world, so many have been caught in the Satanic trap of worldliness.
1. In 1 John 2:15-17, we find the words “the world” 5 times.
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
2. In our text, we find the words “having loved this PRESENT world.” When you see a change in wording, it is not contradictory but explanatory in nature. This Present World is where we live; it is our world. As Christ dying for the sins of the whole world is correct, it must also become personal for us to be saved.
3. Almost everyone in church here today holds the “world” in our hands. We can see anything that we desire, order anything that we desire, ask AI any question that we want answered, etc. with a “Hey, Siri!” In the cell phone, we find all that Satan wants us to know: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
4. We can eat what we want. Look at all the eating places in our small town!
Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
5. We can go anywhere we want: north, south, east, or west. From the mountains to the ocean, it is just a “day trip.”
6. We can buy anything we want. Just pull out one of the credit cards or finance in other ways: new clothes, new cars and trucks, plenty of “man toys” and “girl toys” available.
E. I want to look at the phrase “this present world” for a few minutes this morning. Not so much the attractions of the world but the system itself. When we take all of the veneer off of “this present world,” we see just how wicked it is in both its leadership and agenda!
1. Today is as it was in the days of Noah. Matthew 24:37-38 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
2. Today is as it was in the days of Lot. Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
3. Today is as it was in the days of Laodicea. Revelation 3:15-17 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
4. Today is as it was in the days of Falling Away. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
5. Today is as it was in the days of Timothy. 2 Timothy 4:1-4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
F. What is going on in our day with so many people leaving good churches or church all together? The answer is simple: they love this Present World instead of loving the things of God.
G. Why “This Present World?” Present because:
1. The Leadership Of This Present World Has Never Changed! From its establishment in the Garden of Eden when the serpent raised his head and voice against God to this present day, the leadership is the same!
a. Its Political Leadership – Our Lord identified the leadership of “this present world” in the Book of John. Three times He used the phrase “the prince of this world.”
John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
The political leader is Satan! He controls the workings of our political system and politicians become more and more liberal. They may change their faces when voters threaten them, but their core values and heart condition remain the same. Elections in general may put a scare into some and slow the liberal agenda for a while but the hearts of these elected officials have not changed, just their minds for the moment.
b. Its Religious Leadership – The “god of this world” has never changed!
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Satan rules in the churches of this world. The Word of God rules in God’s churches! The “god of this world” says, “Yea, hath God said?” while the church of God says “Thus saith the Lord!” Where the Bible is not the final authority, Satan is always the culprit.
2. The Loving Of This Present World Have Never Changed! This world is anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian, and anti-morality.
a. It Is An Alluring World - 1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The fruit of the Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil was “good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” The world is sensual (5 senses) and, therefore, appealing to the flesh.
b. It Is An Evil World - Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Our society is wicked to the core because its core values are distorted because the Bible and God’s way are forsaken.
c. It Is A Corrupt World - 2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Corruption – to ruin or to decay; wickedness, depravity, perversion, deterioration of moral principles, loss of purity or integrity.
1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
d. It Is An Affecting World - 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
It pollutes both mind and body. It pollutes our morals.
3. The Leading Of This Present World Has Never Changed! I said earlier that this present world has an agenda.
a. This World Hates God - John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Religion is not a friend of God. Religion crucified our Lord! Religion martyred the Apostles! Religion persecuted the saints of God throughout the ages. The Cain’s still kill the Abel’s!
b. This World Has A Course - Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Open rebellion to God!
c. This World Has A Philosophy - Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
The world has a love for wisdom that is not wisdom.
Conclusion:
a. We are to be in the world but not of the world. John 17:14-16 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
b. We are to use this world, not abuse it. 1 Corinthians 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
c. We are to have no friendship with the world. James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
